The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-02-03

The Interstate Commerce Blll
The Interstate commerce bill, regulating
railroad business, previously adopted by
the Senate, passed the House on the 2lst
by vote of 2l9 yeas to Al nays, many
members having paired off to avoid the
record. Messrs. Davidson and Dough-
erty, of Florida, voted in the affirmative {:
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill, as agreed upon by both houses Of
Congress- in its first section applies the provis-
ions OF this act to any common carrier engaged
IN the transportation OF passengers wholly by
railroad, or partly by railroad and partly by
water, when both are used under common con-
troll, management or arrangement through more
than one State or Territory, or from any place
in the United States to an adjacent foreign coun.
try. 1t defines the term railroad" to include
all bridges and ferries used or operated by any
railroad. All charges made for any service ran-
dered in the transportation of passengers or
property shall be reasonable and just and every
unjust and unreasonable charge for such service
is prohibited and declared to be unlawful
NO DISCRIMINATION.
Section 2 makes II unlawful for any common
carrier subject to the provisions of this act to
charge, demand, collect or receive directly or
indirectly from any person or persons greater or
less compensation for any service rendered 10 the
transportation of passengers or property than it
charges, demands, collects or receives from any
other person or persons for doing for him or
them like and cOntempOraneous service in the
transportation of like kind of traffic under SUBJ
stantally similar circumstances and conditions
Section makes it unlawful for any common
carrier subject to the provisions of this act to
to make or give any undue or unreasonable pre-
terence or advantage to any particular person,
| company, firm, corporation or locality or any
| liar 6pcPr ipfin of
carrier subject to the provisions of this act shall
according TO their respective powers afford all
reasonable, proper and equal facilities for the in
terchange of traffic between their respective
lines. and for the receiving. forwarding and de-
| llverlng OF passengers and property to and from
their several lines and those connecting there
with, and shall not discriminate in their rates
and charges between such connecting lines.
LONG AND SHORT HAULs
Section enacts that it shall be unlawful for
any common carrier subject TO the provisions of
this act to charge or receive any greater com.
pcnsatlOn in the aggregate for the transportation
of passengers OF like kind of properly under
substantially similar circumstances and condi-
tlons, tor a shorter than for longer distance
over the same line in the same direction, the
shorter being included, within the longer dis
tince but this shall not he construed as author
lZing any common carrier within the terms of this
act to charge and receive as great cOmpensa( ion
for shorter rs for longer distance; provided,
however, that upon application to the commits
SION appointed under the provisions of this act
such common carrier may, in special cases. after
investigation by the commission, be authorized
to charge less for longer than for shorter dis
distances Tor the transportation of passengers or
property, and the commission may from time to
time prescribe the extent to which such designa-
tel common carrier may be relieved from the
operations of this section Of this act
Section enacts that il shall be unlawful for
ct,l,ia tI,<
this act to enter into any contract, agreement or
combination with any other common carrier or
carriers for the pooling of reghts of different
and competing railroads, or to divide between
them the aggregate or net proceeds of the earn
ings of such railroads or any portion thereof ::
and in any case of any agreement for the pool.
iIg OF freights as Aforesaid, each day OF its con-
tinuance shall be deemed separate offense
PUBLISHING RATES
Section requires hat after 80 DAYS from the
passage of the act every common carrier subject
to its provisions shall have printed and keep for
| public inspection, schedules showing its rates
fares and charges, and in addition to recurring
the railroads to give publicity at all of the de-
pots on their several lines, it gives authority to
the commission, where it is proper and necessary,
to require them to give publicity to their rates to
other places beyond the lines of their several
railroads. Ii also provides that rates, fares and
charges shall not be raised except after 10 days
of public notice, but that they may be reduced
without previous public notce-the notice. how
ever. shall be simultaneous with the reduction it.
self.
Section makes ii unlawful for any common
carrier to enter into any combination or agree
ment to prevent the carriage of freights from be-
ing continuous from the place of shipment to the
! place of destination.
Section declares that any common carrier
violating the provisions of the act shall be liable
to the person or persons injured thereby for the
N HN tai.
OF any such violation, together with reasonable
counsel or attorneys fees.
MODES OF REDRESS
Section 8 provides that persons claiming to
have been damaged by the action of common
carriers may proceed TOR the recovery of their
damages either in the courts Of the United States
or before the commission herein provided for,
but not before both tribunals
Section 10 makes it penal Offense 10 violate
any OF the provisions OF this act and puts the
maximum OF fine which may he imposed at the
sum of 5000.
The eleven following sections contain the
commission features of the BILL They provide
for commission 10 consist OF five persons whose
term of office shall be for six years. except for the
first appointments, which are to be for twO three,
four, five and six years. The members of the
commission are to be appointed by the President,
by and with the advice of the Senate Their
principal Office shall he in Washington but thcy
ton, and single member of the commission may
take testimony anywhere as may be directed by
the commission. These Commissioners have sal
aries of $1,000 EACH The commission has power
to appoint secretary with an annual salary of
$500, and has authority to employ and fix the
compensation of such other employees as it may
find necessary TO II proper performance of its di-
ties, subject to the approval of the Secretary of
the Interior.
Section % provides that nothing contained in
this act shall abridge the remedies now existing
at common law or by statute.
Section % appropriates 100000 for the pur-
poses of this act for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1885,
Section "a provides that the provisions OF sec
tons II and 18 of this act, relating to the ap-
pointment and organization of the commission
herein provided for shall take effect Immediately
and the remaining provisions of this act shall
take effect go days after date.
ASTONISHING SUCCESS.
1t is the duty Of every person who has
used Boschee's German Syrup to let its
wonderful qualities be known to their
friends in curing Consumption, severe
Coughs, Group, Asthma, Pneumonia, and
in fact all throat and lung diseases. No
person can use it without immediate re-
lief Three doses will relieve anv case